[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham].

  • Fulham (London, England). Metropolitan Borough.
Date:
[1932]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: City of London, London Metropolitan Archives

    17/111 (page 15)
    15 Prior to the development of cancer of these organs there is usually present for a considerable period a non-cancerous condition which may be cured by treatment. The causes of the conditions which are the forerunners of cancer are known in many cases and can be prevented. The Ministry strongly advise the general public to make themselves acquainted with the causes and early symptoms of cancer so that pre ventive measures and effective treatment can be carried out, and it is pointed out that the stage of a disease in which advice is sought has a profound bearing on the ultimate result. Many valuable lives are lost which could be saved if the public were acquainted with the causes and early signs of the disease. In the case of cancer of the lip, tongue and skin the detection of the disease is comparatively easy as these organs are accessible, the growth can be seen and there are often warning signs before the cancer has actually developed. Cancer of these organs is commoner in men than in women and this is especially true in the case of cancer of the lip and tongue. The average age at which patients seek advice is between 55 and 60; the disease may, however, occur earlier in life and fre quently occurs at later age periods. Cancer of the Lip. The commonest position is to the right or left of the middle of the lower lip and the condition is not nearly so common at the angles of the mouth. Cancer of the lip usually starts as an ulcer or a wart on the red margin of the lip which is hard to the touch. It may start as a small crack or patch on the lip which gets covered with a scab. Later on the glands beneath the jaw and in the neck are affected so that they become enlarged and may break down, forming ulcers. The condition becomes painful and the patient looks ill, but this is not the case in the early stages.